Video shows vandal spray-painting "anti-Semitic graffiti" on downtown Miami bagel shop
MIAMI - Police are investigating this Monday recent vandalism at a bagel shop in downtown Miami that was spray-painted with what the owner is calling "anti-Semitic graffiti."
Police said it happened early Sunday morning, at around 4 a.m., at the Holy Bagels & Pizzeria-Downtown near 90 NW and 1st Street.
Miami police said they responded to investigate the reported vandalism at the shop and when detectives got there, they discovered red spray paint on the front of the store, along with a flag that had been vandalized with "anti-Semitic graffiti."
The owner, Josh Nodel, told CBS News Miami that this is not the first time they have experienced something like this.
"My father actually has another location in Miami Beach. They have actually been hit three times already. So, yeah, he had flags taken down. One time, they cut it. One time, they stomped on the flag. Thank God the police caught two of the suspects."
Nodel says this act of vandalism must be taken seriously. "This is how the Holocaust started. Simple little things in Germany they were doing. They were vandalizing businesses, they burned down businesses and this is how it starts," he said.
The paint has since been cleaned up and the business has reopened.
On Monday morning, City of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez and Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava were there to lend a helping hand and wash off that vandalism.
"I just felt like the best thing I could do, the quickest, was to come out here and help take it off," Suarez said.
Detectives are investigating the circumstances surrounding this incident.
The bagel shop provided us with surveillance video showing a person, wearing a hoodie, spray painting the storefront.
Police are asking the public for any information they can provide about this person's whereabouts.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Miami Police Department at (305) 603-6030 or Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471- TIPS (8477).
